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8. Responsive Space

Abstract

The European Space Policy, while being currently largely driven by civilian considerations, faces growing security-related demands for European security and safety missions ranging from external security actions to maritime surveillance and emergency response to natural disasters. Several EU and think tank initiatives have examined how space assets can support internal and external security missions. The resulting insights into existing capabilities identified a need for instruments supporting a variety of European security and safety missions as well as more flexible and more affordable space applications. Time- and cost-related considerations form the basis of the concept “responsive space” (RS). The most well-known approach to RS is the one under development by the US Department of Defense, but countries such as Canada have also looked into developing RS. On the basis of their experience, this chapter aims to look into a European approach to RS.